Chair

Abstract

A folding chair includes front and rear supports that fold and/or retract into central beams to reduce the space occupied by the chair in a folded configuration. A backrest is coupled to the central beams with a hub that allows an angle of the backrest relative to the central beams to be selected and for the backrest to be folded flat relative to the central beams. One or more actuators and pin actuators may control the relative movements of the backrest, front support, rear support, and central beams.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A chair, comprising:
 a frame; 
 a seating surface coupled to the frame; 
 a backrest surface coupled to the frame, 
 the frame having a backrest frame including a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first and second portions are connected together in a telescoping manner whereby the backrest frame includes a retracted position and an extended position; 
 at least one blocking pin constructed and arranged to hold the backrest frame in the extended position; and, 
 an actuator operatively coupled to the at least one blocking pin, the actuator configured to actuate the at least one blocking pin to allow the backrest frame to move from the extended position to the retracted position. 
 
     
     
       2. The chair of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion comprises inner stiles and the second portion comprises outer stiles, wherein the inner stiles and outer stiles are constructed and arranged to slide relative to each other where the inner stiles slide into and out of the outer stiles to move the backrest frame between the retracted position and extended position, respectively. 
     
     
       3. The chair of  claim 2 , further comprising a wiper disposed at an interface between the inner and outer stiles, wherein the wiper is configured to reduce fluids or particles from entering the outer stiles as the inner stiles translate into the outer stiles. 
     
     
       4. The chair of  claim 2 , wherein the backrest surface is formed of fabric. 
     
     
       5. The chair of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion comprises inner stiles and the second portion comprises outer stiles, wherein the backrest frame further includes a rail connecting the outer stiles to form a U-shaped second portion of the backrest frame. 
     
     
       6. The chair of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one blocking pin is remote from the actuator. 
     
     
       7. The chair of  claim 6 , wherein the first portion comprises inner stiles and the second portion comprises outer stiles, wherein the backrest frame further includes a rail connecting the outer stiles to form a U-shaped second portion of the backrest frame and wherein the actuator is disposed on the rail. 
     
     
       8. The chair of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one blocking pin engages a corresponding hole in the inner stiles. 
     
     
       9. The chair of  claim 8 , further comprising a tether operatively coupling the actuator with the at least one blocking pin. 
     
     
       10. A chair, comprising:
 a frame having a backrest portion including a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first and second portions are connected together in a telescoping manner whereby the backrest portion has a retracted position and an extended position; 
 at least one blocking component coupled to at least one of the first and second portions, the at least one blocking component constructed and arranged to allow the backrest portion to move from the extended position to the retracted position upon actuation of the at least one blocking component, wherein the at least one blocking component is constructed and arranged to hold the backrest portion in the extended position; and, 
 an actuator operatively coupled to the at least one blocking component, the actuator configured to actuate the at least one blocking component to allow the backrest frame to move from the extended position to the retracted position. 
 
     
     
       11. The chair of  claim 10 , further comprising a fabric backrest surface attached to the backrest portion of the frame. 
     
     
       12. The chair of  claim 10 , wherein the second portion includes a rail, wherein the actuator is disposed on the rail. 
     
     
       13. The chair of  claim 12 , further comprising a tether operatively coupling the actuator with the at least one blocking component. 
     
     
       14. A chair, comprising:
 a frame having a backrest portion including a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first and second portions are connected together in a telescoping manner whereby the backrest portion includes a retracted position and an extended position, wherein the first portion comprises inner stiles and the second portion comprises outer stiles, wherein the inner stiles and outer stiles are constructed and arranged to slide relative to each other where the inner stiles slide into and out of the outer stiles to move the backrest portion between the retracted position and extended position, respectively; wherein the backrest portion further includes a rail connecting the outer stiles to form a U-shaped second portion of the backrest portion; 
 at least one blocking pin constructed and arranged to hold the backrest portion in the extended position; and, 
 an actuator disposed on the rail and operatively coupled to the at least one blocking pin via a tether, the actuator configured to actuate the at least one blocking pin to allow the backrest portion to move from the extended position to the retracted position. 
 
     
     
       15. The chair of  claim 14 , further comprising a fabric backrest surface attached to the backrest portion of the frame. 
     
     
       16. A foldable chair, comprising:
 a backrest frame having a first stile and a second stile disposed at least partially inside the first stile and configured to slide in the first stile between an extended and a retracted position; 
 a blocking pin movable between a blocking position and an unblocking position, wherein in the blocking position, the blocking pin cooperates with the first and second stiles to inhibit sliding motion of the second stile relative to the first stile, and in the unblocking position the second stile is free to slide relative to the first stile; 
 a tether operatively coupled to the blocking pin at a first end; and 
 an actuator operatively coupled to a second end of the tether, wherein the actuator is operable by a user to move the blocking pin between the blocking position and unblocking position. 
 
     
     
       17. The foldable chair of  claim 16 , wherein the first end of the tether is coupled to a carrier disposed adjacent to the first stile and configured to slide relative to the first stile when the actuator is operated by a user, wherein the carrier includes a carrier engagement surface inclined relative to the first stile, and wherein the carrier engagement surface engages the blocking pin when the actuator is operated by a user to move the blocking pin from the blocking position to the unblocking position. 
     
     
       18. The foldable chair of  claim 17 , wherein the blocking pin includes a pin head, wherein the pin head includes a carrier engagement surface configured to engage the pin engagement surface of the carrier, and wherein the carrier engagement surface is parallel to the pin engagement surface. 
     
     
       19. The foldable chair of  claim 16 , wherein the actuator comprises:
 an actuator housing having a first actuator pin slot; 
 a button having a second actuator pin slot, wherein the button is configured to move toward the actuator housing in a first direction, and wherein the second actuator pin slot is inclined relative to the first actuator pin slot; and 
 an actuator pin disposed in both the first actuator pin slot and the second actuator pin slot, wherein the second end of the tether is coupled to the actuator pin, and wherein movement of the button in the first direction moves the actuator pin along the first actuator pin slot. 
 
     
     
       20. The foldable chair of  claim 19 , wherein the first end of the tether is coupled to a carrier disposed adjacent to the first stile and configured to slide relative to the first stile when the actuator is operated by a user, wherein the carrier includes a carrier engagement surface inclined relative to the first stile, and wherein the carrier engagement surface engages the pin when the actuator is operated by a user to move the blocking pin from the blocking position to the unblocking position. 
     
     
       21. The foldable chair of  claim 20 , wherein the blocking pin includes a pin head, wherein the pin head includes a carrier engagement surface configured to engage the carrier engagement surface of the carrier, and wherein the carrier engagement surface is parallel to the pin engagement surface. 
     
     
       22. The foldable chair of  claim 16 ,
 wherein the backrest frame includes two first stiles and two second stiles, wherein each second stile is disposed at least partially inside a corresponding first stile and is configured to slide in the corresponding first stile between an extended and a retracted position; 
 wherein each first and second stile cooperates with a corresponding blocking pin to inhibit sliding motion of the second stile relative to the first stile when the corresponding blocking pin is in the blocking position and to allow sliding motion of the second stile relative to the first stile when the corresponding blocking pin is in the unblocking position; and 
 wherein each blocking pin is operatively coupled to a respective tether and each tether is operatively coupled to the actuator such that the actuator is operable by a user to simultaneously move the blocking pins between the blocking position and unblocking position. 
 
     
     
       23. The foldable chair of  claim 22 , wherein the backrest frame further includes a rail connecting the two first stiles and wherein the actuator is disposed on the rail.